The current understanding of the mechanism of inoculation of the eutectic in commercial Fe-C-Si alloys using either silicon containing alloys or graphite has been discussed. The mechanism whereby inclusion formation within a cast iron melt is essential for inoculation effectiveness in ferro silicon inoculation has been reviewed. The role of graphitic inoculants has been presented, including the results of recent research that confirms the inoculating capability of graphite and demonstrates those factors which must be considered in evaluating inoculation effectiveness. Fading of inoculation, both ferro silicon and graphite, and the mechanism whereby this occurs, has also been discussed.

Mechanical properties of ()/Al hybrid composites fabricated by the reaction squeeze casting were compared with those of ()/Ai composites. Al-Ni intermetallic compounds () formed by the reaction between nickel powder and molten aluminum were uniformly distributed in the Al matrix. These intermetallic compounds were identified as using X-ray diffraction analysis and they resulted in beneficial effects on room and high temperature strength and wear resistance. Microhardness values of ()/Al hybrid composite were greater by about 100Hv than those of ()/Al composite. Wear resistance of ()/Al hybrid composites was superior to that of ()/Al composites regardless of the applied load. While tensile and yield strength of ()/Al hybrid composites were greater at room temperature and , strength drop at high temperature was much smaller in hybrid composites.

It is well known that the coarse primary Si in hypereutectic Al-Si alloys deteriorate castability, machinability, and mechanical properties. So, many treatment has been tried to refine the primary Si increasing cooling rate and adding refinement agent. Therefore. the purpose of our work was the observation of the effect on the refinement of primary Si and the analysis of the trend to apply to the casting process by changing the amount of P addition and the cooling rate while fixing the temperature at of P addition and the type of AlCuP. In the condition of amount of P addition was fixed, primary Si was finer as cooling rate increased but in case of cooling rate was fixed, the effect of refinement was resisted as incersed the amount of P addition. At a relatively slow cooling rate of , refinement was governed by the amount of P addition rather than cooling rate. At elevated cooling rate of and , the undercooling due to faster cooling rate promoted nucleation of primary Si rather than P addition more significantly.

In order to study effects of Cu and Be on the microstructure and tensile properties of rapidly solidified Al-Mg alloys, Al-Mg-Cu-Be alloys have been rapidly solidified by inert gas atomization process. Microstructure of rapidly solidified Al-Mg-Cu-Be powders exhibited refinement and good dispersion of Be particles as increasing of solidification rate. Solidification rate of atomized powders was estimated to be about . Inert gas atomized Al-Mg-Cu-Be powders were hot-processed by vacuum hot pressing at under 100 MPa and hot extruded with reduction ratio in area of 25: 1 at . The extruded Al-Mg-Cu-Be powders consisted of recrystallized fine Al grains and homogeneously dispersed fine Be particles, and exhibited improved tensile properties with increase in Cu content. compounds precipitated in grain and grain boundaries of Al-Mg-Cu-Be alloys with aging heat treatment after solution treatment. Hardness and tensile properties were improved by increasing Cu content and Be addition. Compared with extruded Al-Mg-Cu powders, the extruded Al-Mg-Cu-Be powders exhibited finer recrystallized grains and improved tensile properties by dispersion hardening of Be and subgrain boundaries pinned by fine Be particles. After aging treatment, hardness and tensile properties were improved due to restricted precipitation by increasing of dislocation density around Be particles in matrix.

The effects of changes in microstructure of Si phase on the thermal expansion coefficients(CTEs) and tensile properties of the hypereutectic Al-Si foundry alloy(A390) were investigated experimentally. Specimens were prepared by various fabrication processes, such as a permanent mold casting, a squeeze casting and a spray casting process, and subsequently hot-extruded. CTEs of the spray-cast specimen were found to be about 10% lower than those of the permanent mold-cast specimen, and the CTEs of the hypereutectic Al-Si alloy(A390) were changed proportionally with the size of Si phase. Ultimate tensile strength of the spray-cast and hot-extruded specimen was dramatically improved about 100% with improved elongation, compared to that of permanent mold-cast specimen. These improvements are mainly attributed to the reduction in size and aspect ratio of the brittle Si phase, and the elimination of the microvoids/porosities formed during casting.

The study for direct synthesis of TaC carbide which was a reaction product of tantalum and carbon in the cast iron was performed. Cast iron which has hypo-eutectic composition was cast bonded in the metal mold with tantalum thin sheet of thickness of . The contents of carbon and silicon of cast iron matrix was controlled to have constant carbon equivalent of 3.6. The chracteristics of microstructure and the formation mechanism of TaC carbide in the interfacial reaction layer in the cast iron/tantalum thin sheet heat treated isothermally at for various time were examined. TaC carbide reaction layer was grown to the dendritic morphology in the cast iron/tantalum thin sheet interface by the isothermal heat treatment. The composition of TaC carbide was 48.5 at.% at.% C-2.8 at.% Fe. The hardness of reaction layer was MHV . The thickness of reaction layer linearly increased with increasing the total content of carbon in the cast iron matrix and isothermal heat treating time. The growth constant for TaC reaction layer was proportional to the log[C] of the matrix. The formation mechanism of TaC reaction layer at the interface of cast iron/tantalum thin sheet was proved to be the interfacial reaction.

Al-15Cu-lMg alloys have been directionally solidified in 3mm diameter alumina tubes under the conditions of of furnace temperature and 12 cm/hr of furnace moving velocity(V). By analyzing the evolution of the temperature profiles along the alloy length, the position of the solid/liquid interface, temperature gradient(G) and local growth velocity (R) were determined. These growth characteristics were compared for 6, 10, 14 cm length alloys. Steady state growth region was obtained in 15 cm length alloy, not in 6, 10 cm.

The main objective of this study is to investigate the microstructure and tensile strength of /Al alloy composites fabricated by die casting method. Die casting was performed using the preheated mold at the pouring temperature range of under the pressure of . The low speed and a following high injection speed were 0.4 and 2.1 m/s, respectively. The microstructure of /Al alloy composites fabricated by die casting method was found to be finer than that of composites fabricated by gravity casting. Also, SiC particulates were homogeneously distributed in refined Al matrix due to rapid solidification. The tensile strength of /Al alloy composites fabricated by die casting method was found to be varied with cast temperature. The maximun tensile strength of (10 vol.% and 20 vol.%)/Al alloy composites showed 380 MPa at the cast temperature of and 363 MPa at the cast temperature of , respectively.

Commercial flake graphite cast iron substrate was coated with titanium powder by low pressure plasma spraying and was irradiated with a laser to produce the wear resistant composite layer. From the experimental results of this study, it was possible to composite TiC particles on the surface layer by direct reaction between carbon existed in the cast iron matrix and titanium with thermal sprayed coating by remelting and alloying them using laser irradiation. The cooling rate of laser remelted cast iron substrate without titanium coating was about K/s to K/s in the order under the condition used in this study. The microstructure of alloyed layer consisted of three zones, that is, TiC particule crystallized zone (MHV ), the mixed zone of TiC particule+ledebulite (MHV ) and the ledebulite zone (MHV ). TiC particules were crystallized as a typical dendritic morphology. The secondary TiC dendrite arms were grown to the polygonized shape and were necking. And then the separated arms became cubic crystal of TiC at the slowly solidified zone. But in the rapidly solidified zone of fusion boundry, the fine granular TiC particules were grouped like grape.

Developing a salt core for squeeze casting process, two different salt cores(pure salt core and mixed salt core) were fabricated and investigated. Pure salt core was composed of 100% NaCl and mixed salt core was made by mixtures of NaCl with MgO(1%), (2%), and talc(1%) as a binder or a strengthening agent. Salt cores were compacted to various theoretical density, heat treated, and then squeeze-cast with molten Al alloy(AC8A). The compression strength of salt cores were measured and the squeeze-cast products were examined for shape retention, infiltration of molten metal into the cores, and microstructures. The shape of salt core compacted at above 75% of the theoretical density was maintained stably. The higher theoretical density of salt cores gave higher compression strength, and the compression strength of mixed salt core was higher than that of pure salt core. Namely at 90% theoretical density, the compression strength of mixed salt core was , compared to for pure salt core. At a squeeze casting pressure of , molten Al alloy was infiltrated into pure salt core of under 85% of the theoretical density. At squeeze casting pressure of , only mixed salt core above 90% of the theoretical density were valid, but the shape of the core was altered in the case of pure salt core at 90% of theoretical density. A key factor for developing a salt core for squeeze casting process was estimated as the ultimate compressive strength of salt core.